Sunny Side Up

If you were to develop a variety/talk show tailored to viewers ages 2 - 4, you're entering the territory of Sprout's Sunny Side Up, an appealing collection of puppetry, songs, skits, and video sequences. These short programs, formerly known as The Sunny Side Up Show were set in a barn, but the show has been re-imagined with a more urban vibe and is now simply called Sunny Side Up. Chirpy puppet chick Chica lives in a city apartment and she's joined by a rotating cast of human co-hosts as they spotlight pro-social behavior and preschool-readiness skills.

In "Kindness Counts Recap," Chica and her co-host riff on sports reporting by recapping instances of kind behavior, including helping to put away toys after playtime. "Day at the Beach" shows "Captain" Chica in a pirate hat as she sets out to bury some treasure. In "3,2,1 Emotion with Sterling K Brown", Chica and co-host Emily greet a special guest, Emmy-award winning actor Sterling K. Brown, who plays Randall Pearson on the NBC drama This Is Us. Together they play a game that challenges young viewers (whom they refer to as "Sproutlets") to guess an emotion based on Brown's facial expression. And in "Queen Bee Trick or Treat", Chica and co-host Kaitlin don bumblebee costumes and sing a peppy song with lyrics that both celebrate Halloween and relay some simply rules to keep it all safe and polite. "

Program content is often tied to the Sprout website, which introduces themes and invites submissions that include original artwork and birthday announcements. Human co-hosts Carly, Tim, Kaitlin and Emily are all played by actors who capably maximize the comedy without overdoing it. The pace, content, and gentle and pleasant production value demonstrate the producers' respect for the audience.

Gina Catanzarite is an award-winning television producer, writer, teacher, mom and media consultant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She began her career in 1987 and counts 9 Emmy awards, 26 Emmy nominations, a Matrix award, two Pennsylvania Broadcaster's Association Awards, 8 Telly Awards, and a screenwriting grant from the Theatre Association of Pennsylvania, among her professional honors.